-
The Contrarian
- Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Contrarian
Buy for $20.90
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
Bloomsbury presents The Contrarian by Max Chafkin, read by Will Damron.
A biography of venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel, the enigmatic, controversial and hugely influential power broker who sits at the dynamic intersection of tech, business and politics.
Since the days of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, no industry has made a greater global impact than Silicon Valley. And few individuals have done more to shape Silicon Valley than billionaire venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel. From the technologies we use every day to the delicate power balance between Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington, Thiel has been a behind-the-scenes operator influencing countless aspects of contemporary life. But despite his power and the ubiquity of his projects, no public figure is quite so mysterious.
In the first major biography of Thiel, Max Chafkin traces the trajectory of the innovator's singular life and worldview, from his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents and years at Stanford as a burgeoning conservative thought leader to his founding of PayPal and Palantir, early investment in Facebook and SpaceX and relationships with fellow tech titans Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Eric Schmidt. The Contrarian illuminates the extent to which Thiel has sought to export his values to the corridors of power beyond Silicon Valley, such as funding the lawsuit that bankrupted the blog Gawker to strenuously backing far-right political candidates, including Donald Trump for president.
Eye-opening and deeply reported, The Contrarian is a revelatory biography of a one-of-a-kind leader and an incisive portrait of a tech industry whose explosive growth and power is both thrilling and fraught with controversy.
Critic reviews
"[A] deeply reported and gripping biography.... It offers essential insights for anyone who wants to understand what Silicon Valley’s global ascendance has wrought - and it’s a really great read." (Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better)
"The Contrarian is much more than a consistently shocking biography of Peter Thiel.... It’s also a disturbing history of Silicon Valley that will make you reconsider the ideological foundations of America’s relentless engine of creative destruction." (Brad Stone, author of The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound)
"A captivating, incisive, rigorously reported examination of Silicon Valley’s most mysterious and controversial powerbroker." (Joshua Green, author of Devil’s Bargain)
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40,594
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33,573
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33,154
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Fred271 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Never Finished
- Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within
- By: David Goggins
- Narrated by: David Goggins, Adam Skolnick, Jacqueline Gardner
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 28,412
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 25,389
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 25,298
Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir, demonstrated how much untapped ability we all have but was merely an introduction to the power of the mind. In Never Finished, Goggins takes you inside his Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning and that the quest for greatness is unending.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
He did it again!
- By Christian C. on 12-06-22
By: David Goggins
-
The 6 Habits of Growth
- By: Brendon Burchard
- Narrated by: Brendon Burchard
- Length: 5 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,819
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,128
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,085
The world’s leading high-performance coach and multiple New York Times best-selling author Brendon Burchard delivers the six habits of personal growth that will help you create the life of your dreams. Forged from Brendon Burchard’s personal experiences, data from his GrowthDay app, and his many years as a high-performance coach, The 6 Habits of Growth presents the tools you need to construct the life of your dreams.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Don’t bother
- By B. Sharpe on 10-30-22
By: Brendon Burchard
-
Traction
- Get a Grip on Your Business
- By: Gino Wickman
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,252
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,006
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,926
Do you have a grip on your business, or does your business have a grip on you? All entrepreneurs and business leaders face similar frustrations: personnel conflict, profit woes, and inadequate growth. Decisions never seem to get made, or once made, fail to be properly implemented. But there is a solution. It’s not complicated or theoretical.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
this is for 50+ employee companies, not small ones
- By Ryan Taft on 03-06-18
By: Gino Wickman
-
12 Months to $1 Million
- How to Pick a Winning Product, Build a Real Business, and Become a Seven-Figure Entrepreneur
- By: Ryan Daniel Moran
- Narrated by: Ryan Daniel Moran
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,588
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,093
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,077
By cutting out the noise and providing a clear and proven plan, this road map helps even brand-new entrepreneurs make decisions quickly, get their product up for sale, and launch it to a crowd that is ready and waiting to buy. This one-year plan will guide you through the three stages to your first $1 million: the Grind (months 0-4), the Growth (months 5-8), and the Gold (months 9-12). If your goal is to be a full-time entrepreneur, get ready for one chaotic, stressful, and rewarding year. If you have the guts to complete it, you will be the proud owner of a million-dollar business.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good, but a Little Misleading
- By Chris Love on 11-28-20
-
The Daily Stoic
- 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
- By: Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,612
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,577
Why have history's greatest minds - from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson along with today's top performers, from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities - embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers a daily devotional of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not well made as audio
- By Andreas on 12-27-16
By: Ryan Holiday, and others
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40,594
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33,573
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33,154
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Fred271 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Never Finished
- Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within
- By: David Goggins
- Narrated by: David Goggins, Adam Skolnick, Jacqueline Gardner
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 28,412
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 25,389
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 25,298
Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir, demonstrated how much untapped ability we all have but was merely an introduction to the power of the mind. In Never Finished, Goggins takes you inside his Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning and that the quest for greatness is unending.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
He did it again!
- By Christian C. on 12-06-22
By: David Goggins
-
The 6 Habits of Growth
- By: Brendon Burchard
- Narrated by: Brendon Burchard
- Length: 5 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,819
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,128
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,085
The world’s leading high-performance coach and multiple New York Times best-selling author Brendon Burchard delivers the six habits of personal growth that will help you create the life of your dreams. Forged from Brendon Burchard’s personal experiences, data from his GrowthDay app, and his many years as a high-performance coach, The 6 Habits of Growth presents the tools you need to construct the life of your dreams.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Don’t bother
- By B. Sharpe on 10-30-22
By: Brendon Burchard
-
Traction
- Get a Grip on Your Business
- By: Gino Wickman
- Narrated by: Kevin Pierce
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,252
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6,006
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,926
Do you have a grip on your business, or does your business have a grip on you? All entrepreneurs and business leaders face similar frustrations: personnel conflict, profit woes, and inadequate growth. Decisions never seem to get made, or once made, fail to be properly implemented. But there is a solution. It’s not complicated or theoretical.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
this is for 50+ employee companies, not small ones
- By Ryan Taft on 03-06-18
By: Gino Wickman
-
12 Months to $1 Million
- How to Pick a Winning Product, Build a Real Business, and Become a Seven-Figure Entrepreneur
- By: Ryan Daniel Moran
- Narrated by: Ryan Daniel Moran
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,588
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,093
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,077
By cutting out the noise and providing a clear and proven plan, this road map helps even brand-new entrepreneurs make decisions quickly, get their product up for sale, and launch it to a crowd that is ready and waiting to buy. This one-year plan will guide you through the three stages to your first $1 million: the Grind (months 0-4), the Growth (months 5-8), and the Gold (months 9-12). If your goal is to be a full-time entrepreneur, get ready for one chaotic, stressful, and rewarding year. If you have the guts to complete it, you will be the proud owner of a million-dollar business.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good, but a Little Misleading
- By Chris Love on 11-28-20
-
The Daily Stoic
- 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
- By: Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,612
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2,577
Why have history's greatest minds - from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson along with today's top performers, from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities - embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. The Daily Stoic offers a daily devotional of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Not well made as audio
- By Andreas on 12-27-16
By: Ryan Holiday, and others
-
The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime
- By: MJ DeMarco
- Narrated by: MJ DeMarco
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 8,243
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,101
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7,069
Since you were old enough to hold a job, you've been hoodwinked to believe that wealth can be created by blindly trusting in the uncontrollable and unpredictable markets: the housing market, the stock market, and the job market. I call this soul-sucking, dream-stealing dogma "The Slowlane" - an impotent financial gamble that dubiously promises wealth in a wheelchair. For those who don't want a lifetime subscription to "settle-for-less", there is an alternative.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent!
- By Iray007 on 09-22-15
By: MJ DeMarco
-
The Creature from Jekyll Island
- A Second Look at the Federal Reserve
- By: G. Edward Griffin
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 24 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,726
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,046
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,043
This classic expose of the Fed has become one of the best-selling books in its category of all time. Where does money come from? Where does it go? Who makes it? The money magician's secrets are unveiled. Here is a close look at their mirrors and smoke machines, the pulleys, cogs, and wheels that create the grand illusion called money. A boring subject? Just wait. You'll be hooked in five minutes. It reads like a detective story - which it really is, but it's all true.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Lost confidence in author
- By Amazon Customer on 07-11-20
-
Plan Your Year Like a Millionaire
- By: Rachel Rodgers
- Narrated by: Rachel Rodgers
- Length: 2 hrs
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,191
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,154
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,153
Plan Like a Millionaire is part of a riveting three-part series, and it's all about elevating your game and setting goals like a seven-figure earner. In this wealth-inspiring listening journey, Rachel reveals the secrets of how to set goals, manage time wisely, build essential support systems, break free from financial constraints, and make savvy money decisions.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Feel Good Book, only
- By Maggie on 01-06-24
By: Rachel Rodgers
-
Going Infinite
- The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Michael Lewis
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,813
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,641
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,639
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side? In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking listeners into the mind of Bankman-Fried.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
really expected more rigor from Michael Lewis
- By Wowhello on 10-04-23
By: Michael Lewis
-
Take Control of Your Life
- How to Silence Fear and Win the Mental Game
- By: Mel Robbins
- Narrated by: Mel Robbins
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 18,808
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 16,186
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 16,046
Mel Robbins is back! The international bestselling phenomenon and creator of The Five Second Rule and Kick Ass with Mel Robbins returns to help you tackle the single biggest obstacle you face: fear. This life-changing Audible Original features a powerful mix of one-on-one life-coaching sessions and a personal narrative with vital take-aways that you can start using immediately.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Stop living in fear
- By Nike7 on 02-08-19
By: Mel Robbins
-
Hard Times Create Strong Men
- Why the World Craves Leadership and How You Can Step Up to Fill the Need
- By: Stefan Aarnio
- Narrated by: Stefan Aarnio
- Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,941
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,669
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,650
What does it mean to be a man in the modern world? Throughout history, being a man has meant different things. Maybe being a man was about being a good hunter, or a good soldier, a good businessman, or maybe good with women. Hard Times Create Strong Men examines what it means to be a man in the modern world relative to money, sex, religion, and politics. This audiobook examines what worked and what doesn’t work based on proven history instead of feelings.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
The first half is pretty good, the second half...
- By Daniel Lee on 07-09-20
By: Stefan Aarnio
-
The Ideal Team Player
- How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues: A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick M. Lencioni
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,453
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,528
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,504
In The Ideal Team Player, Lencioni tells the story of Jeff Shanley, a leader desperate to save his uncle's company by restoring its cultural commitment to teamwork. Jeff must crack the code on the virtues that real team players possess and then build a culture of hiring and development around those virtues. Beyond the fable, Lencioni presents a practical framework and actionable tools for identifying, hiring, and developing ideal team players.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Lot of talk about a simple concept
- By Andrea on 09-05-16
-
Tools of Titans
- The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
- By: Tim Ferriss
- Narrated by: Ray Porter, Kaleo Griffith, Tim Ferriss, and others
- Length: 22 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,861
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,240
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,215
The latest groundbreaking tome from Tim Ferriss, the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek. For the last two years, I've interviewed more than 200 world-class performers for my podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to legendary Special Operations commanders and black-market biochemists. For most of my guests, it’s the first time they’ve agreed to a two-to-three-hour interview.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
If I could sum it up: too much of a good thing
- By Brian Sachetta on 06-08-20
By: Tim Ferriss
-
The Complete Book of Five Rings
- By: Miyamoto Musashi, Kenji Tokitsu - editor/translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,027
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,385
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,359
The Complete Book of Five Rings is an authoritative version of Musashi's classic The Book of Five Rings, translated and annotated by a modern martial arts master, Kenji Tokitsu. Tokitsu has spent most of his life researching the legendary samurai swordsman and his works, and in this book he illuminates this seminal text, along with several other works by Musashi.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Best translation I have encountered.
- By DW on 05-27-16
By: Miyamoto Musashi, and others
-
The High 5 Habit
- Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit
- By: Mel Robbins
- Narrated by: Mel Robbins
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 8,992
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7,823
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7,768
Don't let the title fool you. This isn't a book about high fiving everyone else in your life. You're already doing that. Cheering for your favorite teams. Celebrating your friends. Supporting the people you love as they go after what they want in life. Imagine if you gave that same love and encouragement to yourself. Or even better, you made it a daily habit. You'd be unstoppable. In this book, Mel teaches you how to start high fiving the most important person in your life, the one who is staring back at you in the mirror: YOURSELF.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Narrator issues.
- By Jesse on 10-05-21
By: Mel Robbins
-
Caffeine
- How Caffeine Created the Modern World
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42,300
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36,445
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36,277
Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Leaves much to be desired
- By Melody H on 02-02-20
By: Michael Pollan
-
Rocket Fuel
- The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business
- By: Gino Wickman, Mark C. Winters
- Narrated by: Mark C. Winters
- Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,936
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,598
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,584
Visionaries have groundbreaking ideas. Integrators make those ideas realities. This explosive combination is the key to getting everything you want out of your business. It worked for Disney. It worked for McDonald's. It worked for Ford. It can work for you. From the author of the best-selling Traction, Rocket Fuel details the integral roles of the visionary and integrator and explains how an effective relationship between the two can help your business thrive.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Real world advice
- By Ricci El Idrissi on 09-05-16
By: Gino Wickman, and others
Love Books? You'll Love Audible.
Transform your day
Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.
Listen everywhere
Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.
Carry your entire Library
Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.
Listen and learn
Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.
Reach your reading goals
You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.
Find your niche
WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.
What listeners say about The Contrarian
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- mvwijland
- 08-16-22
Fascinating
So, Peter Thiel, the investor. Wow, this book shed some light at how some Silicon Valley’s investors operate. Backstabbing, money grabbing person, out for power, for control. Fascinating to get a inside into this person, but not my kind of person.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dirk101
- 01-18-22
Great Read!
An engaging book!
Well written.
Great narrator.
It is a Must Read.
Dont be fooled. Make up your own mind.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 12-27-22
The man -Peter
Extremely helpful
I now know the Man-Peter Thiel. Powerful man
I truly enjoyed, learnt a lot on how m business and friends ought to be managed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 11-05-22
A bitter delivery
I think the author struggled to hide his personal bias and disdain for the subject. I eventually got the audiobook hoping it would make it easier to digest. Eventually got through.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!